1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method for the same and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been a demand for improving the security features of information processing apparatuses to prevent leakage of information. A known image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP) that handles document information as electrical data includes various types of security functions and controls access by user authentication or the like. For example, a sequence for user access control includes imposing a restriction on the use by a user of the respective functions of an image forming apparatus and only executing image formation (printing) of authenticated user data.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-258954 proposes a switchable image forming apparatus that includes a fee insertion device, and has a charging management mode (general user mode) and a non-charging management mode (for managers and servicing personnel). In this image forming apparatus, a suitable restriction is imposed on the functions that can be used by a general user or by a manager by providing a setting for image forming conditions that differ according to the mode.
Furthermore, an image forming apparatus has been recently developed in which a charging apparatus such as a coin vendor and an authentication apparatus such as a card reader are connected to enable a common-use environment by both a general non-specified user and a specified user such as an employee. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-65211 proposes a technique of suitably selecting a charging management apparatus that charges for the execution of a job in an image forming apparatus connected to a plurality charging management apparatuses such as a coin vendor or a card reader.
However, the following problems arise when user access is controlled in an image forming apparatus in which both a coin vendor and a card reader are connected in the above manner. For example, when permission to use the apparatus is given to another user who has inserted a fee into the coin vendor after a specified user has logged into the image forming apparatus using card authentication via a card reader, the access control may no longer match the situation. More specifically, when a plurality of users are logged in, who have different user restrictions imposed on different functions, it is possible that a restriction must be imposed on use by another user in relation to functions that a specified user is permitted to use. In that case, there is the problem that it is difficult to suitably restrict use of respective functions to respective users.